The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-05
A. TRIP WITH A PRIEST
dYOyG TIE hVERAGE POOR ON THE
GREAT EAST SIDE
A washeruounn's Home-Tho Cares OF n
Mother-A Young wife with q Grave Face
ALA n Wrnk-A Hnknr,n LuXurY.

SIS n wcek-A Bakers Luxury.
individual CAGES Of distress bad enough to
ojicit sympathy from miser may BIO found a
plenty In any great city. Everybody has heard
OF tho poverty OF Little Italy" where have
been discovered from fourteen to twenty per-
sons living promlscuously In one room, and 30
thickly thrown together that they could not lie
down to sleep, some Of them having to huddle
against the walls In q half upright attitude.
But II may almost always be said Of such cases
that they are the result OF special misfortunes
or improvidepce. and thcy have little signif-
cameo In tho consideration Of the needs and
demands Of the great mass OF poor people. 1t
was with the idea that there is moro Of field
for profitable observation In the homes OF the
average poor than In the holes where horrid
poverty and filth aro indstinguishably COM
bined that the reporter made tour Of the cast
side, calling only upon people who were known
to DO industrious and sober. To mako sure OF
his ground he visited one OF the several mis-
sions Of tho district. Ono OF tho priests con-
nected with 1t snid:
Il can show you every grade and condition
OF poverty that you have ever read about, and
doubtless many more besides. I am going.
however, to-day to call upon number OF peo-
pie who are industrious, whose cases arc strict
ly representative. am not going to take ma
teTlal ulu Dut hlInplS us tnelI phstoi, toionIhhu
thcm OF their duties to tho church, and to In
quire utter their circumstances. You may
come along II you like. I shall not pick out
special cases. but II you see nothing suggestive
or interesting, think 1t will be your fault"
This was exactly what was wanted. 1t was
about tho middle OF the afternoon when the
priest stopped before a big tenement building
not far from tho East River. An alley ran d.
rectly through this building to tho back yard.
The passage was low, dark, and narrow. The
yard was about fifteen feet square, 1t came to
an end ut fve-story building, which stood.
therefore. of the street and between blocks, en-
tirely surrounded with solid rows Of tenement
houses. 1t seemed like house In q
well. This structure swarmed with the
life OF twenty families. Besides serving
man beings. It Ind boon found convenient
nes Rsf lS ~ shh io'Rss
Tannins around . pulley 81 the ' further end, 50
the empty limo could bring ali her drying linen
within her reach ono piece at q time. Ger
ii ali sorts suspended, Of heights varying from
one I? ak stories, and BY 90 much the more
most common features OF the tenement dis
tricts. We're 1t not thus there would be no
loo sss eso DH woa
and It saves going up and down stairs with
case miskt me- .'0 but i does not save GOING
down stairs even from the seventh or eighth Or
sa G With ;e vi o4 dwe En
-" Let US 60 in here said the priest; leading
the back S Of the yard Il need not be- sud that
TIC stairway was steep and dark. AZ the top
Kemm oxeainepd ss strong H Hearty Voice.
Rnd the priest and his companion entered.
Nothing short OF PHOTOGRAPH and catalogue
feet square. The door. when pushed part way
hstoe odds
ne heap which s about TIVE feet nigh may
skirts, stockings, shoes. sheets, towels. mos
SSrsnt rs! Without numbOr Thsy are not the
other side of the room is in tho washing bust
moss. for the things in this heap are h11Pelessly
is crowned By a broken down al market basket,
IN which is lying baby less than year old;
She Is with tho hr ei Of guilt and
Under the window at the end Of ,the room;
"a Very little Of each), bottles, q brush, a
piece OF soap. and $50 some b other articles
on tho i floor "'r One cannot step, without
tTesdiag upon something besides s the boards
the pr whc are dses SSa
matically arranged, and a mantel shelf at one
side Of the room Several Hheap pftqarss are
room a me na Equally Ropeess eonias Comes
child OF about five years t9 stare glumly at the
priest. The woman cooking at the stove Is
stalwart German, clad appropriately to her
surroundings She smiles pleasantly and talks
with, all The, suSto and yolnb!lity Of typical
present. third at school. the father who died
mntn her Wor nd y sRs
has lust reeovered, the days Of labor she lost
The priest could only nod and ia "a and
reporter understood from her remark that she
soted but the priest a said on tn the
stairs that for two years she had lived there
and that her WAS always Just So 9an
She always apologlzes," he added, with q smile.
Three flights up in another building brought
enpici By a woman and her Ave children.
They counted themselves happy in that there
Widow ooked pen ypcS
back yard and the other upon brick wall two
feet distant, In the main, room were bed, q
or three chairs. 1t was Comparatively neat and
would doubtless have boen presentaple were 1t
t for the Ro he spofe Enss
answer to tho priests questions she said .on
to Sunday school, Fathor, because they have
no shoes. Of any kind to, wear. The oldest
s2.25 week. and 4 some one, Of influence
would only speak to the boss think he would i
others is old enough to work, cannot, 80 out
to work since the time when left the children
here and the house nearly caught fire. The
landlord insists that they we're to blame and
them, And 1t Is very hard to get any work that
haven't been able to dc, more, than three days
work u week lately. there, has been such q
chestl, and Mary nearly died last Friday With
pay 50 u. month rent and am behind two
months. don't sec how shall ever catch up.
do washing by the dozen, but out Of every
dollar that Take in there is thirty-seven cents
Hardly day that some one OF us Ia not sick; y
There We're many cheap pictures on the walls
here, and on the bureau was q plaster dog
about eighteen inches high; She said It had adi
had worked, and 1t was with pleased pride
that she saw that the luxurious article had
been noticed.
The next place visited was scrupulously